Avantgarde og boghistorie: Emil Bønnelyckes bibliografiske aktivisme

The literary production of the European avant-gardes (futurism, expressionism, dadaism, constructivism, and surrealism) represents a rich material for studies into the materiality and semiotic potentialities of the book media. In their search for new literary devices that could match contemporary developments within the visual arts and modern media culture (photography, film, and the omnibus press) the avant-gardes introduced a new ‘activist’ approach to literary production and distribution, in which all material features of the book media (such as typography, illustrations, paper formats etc.) were integrated as intrinsic parts of the literary work. This article examines the interrelationship between literary creation and modern book design as it takes place in the case of the Danish futurist poet Emil Bønnelycke with special regard to his collection of prose poems Asfaltens Sange (Songs of the pavement) from 1918 – whose typographical layout was due to a collaboration with the urban architect and industrial designer Knud V. Engelhardt.